Thursday, June 21, 2012

the business bits we like to overlook ;)

I have not had much time for writing recently--life has caught me up in its talons and while it's all glorious and beautiful and hot and sticky and summer-y, it's left precious little time for actually thinking about plot and characters, phrasing and grammar. That is my little excuse, and I beg you to take it.
Otherwise I will have to do something terribly drastic like...like...like...never mind. I couldn't think of anything drastic enough. ;)

Among the many project ideas and actually-accomplished-projects has been the all-consuming business of reorganizing and going through our bookshelves. I took plenty of pictures of my book collection (before, after, and favorite bits. :) so that you may see. It will have to be in another post though because I don't have the pictures uploaded to this computer yet. Be patient, y'all. ;) I was in raptures because I got to visit with all my beloved old friends, and literally throw out (or Goodwill) the chunks of paper that don't have a spot in my memory because they weren't worth it. ;) I felt powerful. Yes, I'm a bit of literary snob.

Though I haven't written any more of Fly Away Home since resigning from the Crusade, I have been working on a pin-board that may give you a bit of an idea of parts of the rest of the story. :) Yes, yes I know that's not a legitimate form of research... ahem...

Yes, I know I haven't been writing and really haven't felt that much like writing, but I've been indulging in reading. It had been a slightly forbidden pleasure for so long--I would forgo the pleasure of reading in order to get in my word-count--that I am quite giddy with the sensation of gobbling book after book. :)

Oh! In other news, who wants to help name some of my newest characters? I won't promise I'll use all of your ideas, but I need some names for the crew of The Scuppernong. Most specifically:

2nd mate
ship's cook
ship's doctor
boatswain
a half dozen particular sailors who will figure in the plot
second cabin-boy

Oh! And besides a few minor adjustments (like putting back a few of the "about me and my writing" pages) the new blog design is done! Vote on how you like it at the poll on the sidebar. And thank for any suggestions you might have for sailing-folk names. :)

5 comments:

For the ship's cook, how about Frank? I love names with inside jokes, and since I always think of Frank Churchill's silly dancing when I hear "The Ship's Cook" from Emma 2009, it seems a fitting name for a real ship's cook. :D

As far as other names go, I'm partial to the following... (as character names, haha, not necessarily the names I'd give my kids--little disclaimer there ;))

First names--~Ichabod~Maurice~Harvey (yes, yes, this is pirated from Captains Courageous)~Jim (a nice all-purpose name, if a bit dull)~Boris (just because it's interesting)~Malcolm~Hosea (somehow Old Testament names and seafaring men seem to go hand-in-hand)

I am afraid that I was naturally inclined towards surnames. I wasn't sure what kind of ship the Scuppernong was, but If it is even slightly formal, your characters will probably go by surname when on deck, and quite often, even below decks.Here are a few thoughts I had, for what they are worth:Mr. LightmanStevensDr. MariotRafterMacGuier, LanglyHarris(respectivly to your list)Wyatt Fairlead)

I really like the new blog design. The only thing is that because the text is so small, it's a little hard to read. That, and the blog is a little wide (but that's okay because I'm using a teeny netbook). :)

Aaaah, I love names. I'm bad at surnames, but for first names how about,

EdwinJacobElliot (This could be a last name too. I'm assuming most people will call the doctor by his last name.)JakeSimon, Ralph...and I can't think of anything for the cabin-boy. Maybe Davie? How much of a 'boy' is he?

But isn't this funny? I thought about what names would suit those characters and my silly imagination gave all of them personalities. You'll have to tell us what they're actually like, to save me from my mistaken impressions. :P

By the way, I love your new design. It makes me think of chocolate. :)

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I'm Rachel Heffington; in varying degress, that will mean a dreamer, a writer, a people-lover, and a great many other things. I write chiefly because I read, and I read chiefly because the love of Story is writ on my soul and I cannot escape it. I hope I can inspire readers with an ache for that one Story of which we are each a part. I released my debut novel, Fly Away Home (available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble online) in February, 2014, and my short Cinderella retelling (The Windy Side of Care) is scheduled to be released in the Five Glass Slippers collection published by Rooglewood Press in June.
I am so pleased to make your acquaintance; do stick around and partake in the whimsy!